Glasgow City Region Adaptation Strategy - report

Glasgow City Region Climate Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan

1.3 The climate crossroads Glasgow City Region stands at a climate crossroads. People in the region are already beginning to experience the impacts of climate change, but how that looks and feels in the future depends on global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At present, the world is not on track to achieve the goals set by the Paris Agreement 2 in 2015. The Scottish Government’s national net-zero target for greenhouse gas emissions (by 2045) means that the region is delivering its own contribution towards mitigation, with Glasgow City setting its own more ambitious target for carbon neutrality by 2030. But even if the Paris Agreement is achieved globally, this will mean Glasgow City Region faces a very different climate over coming decades.

What is mitigation?

Mitigation strategies regroup all the efforts to reduce or prevent the emission of greenhouse gases (which leads to more climate change). Some of the ways to limit future emissions are the use of new technologies and renewable energies (including wind and solar power), to make older equipment more energy efficient and to change management practices or consumer behaviour.

The UK Climate Projections (UKCP18) show that the climate will change in Glasgow City Region will over the next decade or so, but these changes are projected to be broadly similar regardless of emissions. After 2030, this future becomes much more uncertain and depends on the success of global emissions reductions. By 2030, we will know if the world is on track to limit temperature rises to below 2°C, in line with the Paris Agreement, and what success there has been in limiting rises towards 1.5°C (relative to pre-industrial). If this has not been successful, we may face much higher temperature increases in the period that follows. In 2019 Climate Ready Clyde completed a detailed Climate Risk and Opportunity Assessment 3 to understand what this could mean for Glasgow City Region’s economy, society and environment in the short- and long-term. These were used to inform the development of the Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan. The assessment identified 67 risks and opportunities. Within this set, there were 10 particular risks or opportunities where further action is needed over the next five years:

IN3: Risks to infrastructure services from coastal flooding and erosion

IN7: Risks to energy, transport and ICT infrastructure from storms and high waves

IN8: Risks to energy, transport and ICT infrastructure from extreme heat

SH5: Risks to NHS estates due to flooding and overheating

NE1: Risks to soil stock from changes in temperature and water regime

NE5: Risks to crops and livestock from extremes in temperature and water regime

BI5: Opportunities for products and services to support adaptation NE17: Risks to freshwater biodiversity from pests, invasive species and disease

BI1: Risks to new and existing business sites from river, surface water and coastal flooding

BI4: Risks to business from disruption to supply chains and distribution networks

Fig.5. Glasgow City Region’s risks and opportunities where more action is needed in the next five years.

9

Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online